Today, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced a “new phase of the hospital reform” at the DRG Forum 2024: de-economization, de-bureaucratization, and quality reserves are to be increased.
Tomorrow, the Bundestag will pass the Hospital Transparency Act and the KHVVG draft bill is now also available.
On April 11, 2024, the minister will meet with the respective organizations and municipal authorities. Discussion topics are plenty and diverse:
- The further development on the grouper for service groups with NRW and InEK shall be completed by September so that the reform can take effect from 1.1.2025. The full implementation is planned by 2029.
- Applications for the transformation fund are possible starting 2026.
- Service groups shall now be defined by the federal government and the federal states will then assign them to the corresponding hospitals. An impact analysis is also planned, but not for another five years (2029).
- In the field of oncology, two-thirds of patients are treated in hospitals that offer all the required equipment, however, a third of treatments take place in hospitals that are not suitable. This has to change.
- The boundaries between the inpatient and outpatient sector will not be overcome, but the Level Ii clinics are a first step.
- Currently, Germany has 1720 hospitals. Minister Lauterbach wants to change this - he claims there is neither the need nor the staff for so many hospitals.
- The guarantee-surcharges will be increased by a further 25%.
- The quality requirements for Level Ii hospitals (service groups) will be permanently suspended.
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